The Steel Guitar Forum

I sold my only pedal steel guitar about 4 - 5 years ago and have always regretted it. So, I've kept my eyes peeled for an 'affordable' steel to come up for sale. Lo and behold, my local big-box music store (gee,see?) has one for sale! Only $550 bucks!

To temper my huge case of G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) I decided to check out the SGF's opinion of the Maverick, as I remember it wasn't too favorable. I'm so glad I did, because there were multiple threads about the Maverick and why one shouldn't buy one.

I think I'll save my $$$ for now until I can buy a Stage One or a used Carter Starter. I just wanted to say THANK YOU to this community from making a purchase I probably would have regretted. From my previous steel experience with my MSA Red Baron, playing a 'cheap'steel just makes you want a 'real' one pretty quickly.

The thing with a Maverick is that its a student model, and its fairly one dimensional. I would recommend going over to the for sale section and finding a good used 'Bud, or MSA or Emmons to get ya back at it. But, ya ain't gonna find one for 550 bucks. Student models seem to only inspire so much. I believe its better to get something pro to begin with, that way ya have it. unless you're on of those endless tone hunt guys like yours truly

Not to romanticize the importance of how nice of a guitar you get, but I played a Carter Starter for 8 years before I got something nicer, and I wish I'd done it sooner! My paying began to improve much more quickly with a guitar that I could set up for me, was more comfortable, sturdier, and sounded better--not to mention motivated me to play more often! I'm not trying to knock student models; if it weren't for the Carter Starter I wouldn't have gotten into playing to begin with. But if you already know what you're getting yourself into, it might be worth the investment in an instrument you can hold on to and grow with.

Erich Anderson wrote: I think I'll save my $$$ for now until I can buy a Stage One or a used Carter Starter.

The general consensus around here is that the Stage
One is much better.

The"Maverick"that I started on didn't have a roller nut thus I was breaking G# 3rd strings at the staggering rate of about 6 a day...That guitar bit me so many times that I had scars on both hands,Eventually I traded it in towards a Sho-Bud 6139 which was much better and I never should have sold that.From what ive heard the"Stage One"is a great guitar,"Carter Starter"No!

I'll echo Stu, Mike, and James: avoid the Starter.

Save up 1500 and follow Jacob's advice. But be alert to other really decent steels that come up too: Dekley, Marlen, etc.

In fact a Dekley is on Craig's list here in the northeast for, I think, 1300.

Chris

I have to add a plug here for the Zum Encore - even better than the Stage One because it has the professional Zum changer. Mine has tone for days and days! Contact Doug Ernest and have about $1500 ready to spend.

Back to student guitars. I consider myself lucky to have escaped the Maverick trap in the '70s - my first steel was a ZB Student model. It, too, had the company's professional changer installed and there was no compromise with anything except, perhaps, the rather utility finish.

If someone's goal is to just learn stuff he can play at home for his wife, or friends, I think a Maverick or Carter Starter would be OK if you didn't have a lot of money to spend. But if you want to play some of the stuff you hear on record, those guitars won't fill the bill. I just think it depends on your playing goals. Would I ever buy one? NO WAY. But I am also a working steel guitar player, and need the changes that aren't on those guitars.

Roger Rettig wrote:I have to add a plug here for the Zum Encore - even better than the Stage One because it has the professional Zum changer. Mine has tone for days and days! Contact Doug Ernest and have about $1500 ready to spend.

Back to student guitars. I consider myself lucky to have escaped the Maverick trap in the '70s - my first steel was a ZB Student model. It, too, had the company's professional changer installed and there was no compromise with anything except, perhaps, the rather utility finish.

I just received my Zum Encore this week and I love it. Doug makes an unbelievable steel.

Roger Rettig wrote:I have to add a plug here for the Zum Encore - even better than the Stage One because it has the professional Zum changer. Mine has tone for days and days! Contact Doug Ernest and have about $1500 ready to spend.

Back to student guitars. I consider myself lucky to have escaped the Maverick trap in the '70s - my first steel was a ZB Student model. It, too, had the company's professional changer installed and there was no compromise with anything except, perhaps, the rather utility finish.

Just wanted to add one more note, even though I'm 100% satisfied with my Zum Encore the State One is still an excellent choice.

The amazing Laur Joamets plays one and takes it out on tour. I've watched a few clips of him on it and it sounds incredible.

I wouldn't recommend a 'Carter starter', my first guitar was one and the only good thing I could say about it was it encouraged me to build my own, on the principle that I couldn't make anything worse than that.

I had a Maverick to start out with, the ones that were solid "birdseye" maple body,sounded very good! It had no knees levers and only 3 pedals and a no roller nut that broke a lot of strings(frustrating)I think it was a "pull/release" system.
Kinda wish I still had it-I'd go C6/ no pedal with it!

Look, I admit it. I'm not a Maverick hater. I'm rather fond of them, actually.

Specifically, I'm a fan of the 1st generation Mavericks; the ones with the lacquered maple bodies, raised necks, and gumby pegheads. Those guitars were functionally/operationally the same as the vaunted Sho~Bud Permanent, but with a bare bones body and endplate assembly.

Which means that any of the great solos on steel guitar recorded before, oh, say 1966... could be played on a Maverick pretty easily. That includes almost everything that Buddy or Jimmy Day recorded with Price, Charlton with Tubb, Lloyd Green on "Bridge Washed Out" and the Paycheck stuff, and more. Here's what they did before knee levers: they slanted the bar or smoothly changed positions. I'll bet that most guys that have been playing since the 1960s know how to slant the bar before we had the benefit of 5+ knee levers.

A Maverick is more versatile than a Fender 400, who have many fans here, or a Bigsby. The first time I saw Bobbe Seymour, in 1969 at a package show in New Haven CT with Charlie Pride and Connie Smith, he was playing a first generation Maverick. But the guys who like guitars like that don't aspire to do the modern day equivalent of hot steel playing. We're vintage types. I also have a Maverick that I use as a 10-string non-pedal C6 guitar for western swing gigs that I can easily haul in and haul out no problem.

When I'd take the non-pedal Maverick out on gigs, guys would say "hey, a non-pedal Sho~Bud," instead of "What? Herb's playing a Maverick?! " So I think the 1st generation Maverick is a perfectly acceptable horn for many very hip situations.

As to the 2nd generation Maverick, they do nothing for me esthetically and I personally wouldn't want one except for parts; a good body could be made and use the peghead, fretboard, changer and undercarriage, and case. Johnny Cox used one for a non-pedal guitar and sounded fantastic. But then again, he's Johnny Cox and we're not.

Well said Herb.

And not forgetting Ben Keith who played a 3x1 throughout his career (although not a Maverick, I know).

I started out on a Fender student model (similar to a Maverick).
It was a good starter guitar for me anyway. Gave me plenty to work on for a while. Eventually I sold it and got a fancier steel. I kind of regretted selling it though. It was so simple and lightweight.
So a while back I picked up a Maverick in a trade for a speaker cab I built for a friend.
I like the ugly early 80’s fake wood vinyl covering.
I cleaned it up, added an E lower lever, and tinkered with the changer to make it stay in tune. It is fun to play and much lighter then my MSA.
Here’s a little sample:
https://youtu.be/IhX2cTv5EWk

When I was looking for my first pedal steel I checked out a Maverick in the local newspaper classifieds (eg. I am getting old). The ask price was something like 750 bucks.. Looked underneath and having never seen a steel guitar in my life my sense was that it would be a wreck. I passed.

A few weeks later this unknown to me PSG called an MSA Classic came up for 500.. I looked underneath and it was perfect.

I now have 4 different brands of steels, modern and classic. ... and the MSA remains the overall winner... comfortable and reliable....smooth and just the right pedal weight. People often say they lack tone... and while they don't sound like a PP or an early bud. ..it is very acceptable.

My first Steel was a Maverick ,the one with the lacquered maple body, raised neck and Gumby head. I didn't know any better, I just learned to play what I could along with the one factory lever which I added , the 2nd string lower. It kept me busy for just shy of a year.


I kinda liked mine.

But of course compared to something like a Stage One or Encore, there really is no comparison.

My first steel was a maverick and I sold it to upgrade to something with the standard 3X4 setup. The guitar I got honestly never stayed in tune well and I spent as much time working on it as playing. I honestly wish I had kept the Maverick. It was lighter and easier to move around. And mine always tuned up easy and stayed in tune. It would have been better for quick jam sessions. I have a MSA Classic D-12 now which I love but it weighs 4000lbs.

When I see these threads several things occur to me… beginners are so fortunate now to have many more choices for "student" model guitars, many more used pro models, and the internet to surf to try to sort it all out.
And I remember the Maverick that forumite Tom Stolaski and I both started out on- (I know because I bought it from him!) and that, although clunky and creaky, I loved that thing because it was a steel guitar. And because I could afford it.

Tom and I are both still playing professionally, and I'll bet that same clunky Maverick is still going strong somewhere. We're the guys it was aimed at. Got us hooked…

Yo, Herb. I agree. My Maverick is a 1977 that I bought in 1978. In short order I took off the shelf paper covering which doubled its sustain, and proceeded to add a new pulling system underneath made from "left-overs" I had in the shop. I never thought it would amount to a thing, but I still have the guitar. It's equipped with George L's 12-5 locked in the #1 full humbucking position. It is a very accurate guitar. Jeff Newman told me at a show in Milwaukee WI one Sunday afternoon, "Don't sell the Maverick short. It's got a great cabinet and its tone ain't bad either". I can take that guitar out to any gig at any time and it will do it all. You can see what it looks like if you do a search of the Forum archives and look for a thread called "Hot Rod Maverick"
PRR

I have an Emmons with 651 GS stamped on the end plate. 10 string, 3 pedals and 4 knee levers. Brown wood grain mica finish. It sounds great. Can anyone tell me more about it. Thanks

I started out with one of those pretty "first generation" Mavericks. It had only three pedals. I removed the whammy bar from a beat up old, cheap import guitar, and with a spring and a couple of pieces of hardware from the local hardware store I cobbled together a knee-lever that would lower the second string and eighth string a half step. I made lots of music with that guitar and it sounded way better than the MSA I purchased next.

Lee, from South Texas

I recently repaired a Maverick for a fellow from up around Greensburg Pa. It was really an easy fix for me, since I had several of those back in the 90's. I had one that was in a store in Cumberland Md, & was owned by several 'Steel Guitar' Wanna Bees. That guitar had no roller nuts or anything like that, but I use to put a little Trumpet Valve oil on the 3rd G# each time I played it. Must admit, it had a great sound. It did have a regular wood finish & a raised neck. Sold it to my Uncle & then bought it back. Can't remember who I sold it to the last time, someone from Washington State, I think. I would not mind having it back. Damn, I like those old guitars, but they could be a challenge for a 'Newbe' thats for sure. Properly tuned up & with the right string guages on there they sounded pretty good. I'm sure there are a lot of beginners that gave it up because of those & the MSA Red Baron [ug] but once again, tuned up & proper strings & set up right, you could playe either one of those till the 'Cows came home'.
I am sure I will get a litte flack for liking the damned things, but thats ok, I have a pretty think hide!

Ernie Pollock

Mike Perlowin wrote:

Erich Anderson wrote: I think I'll save my $$$ for now until I can buy a Stage One or a used Carter Starter.

The general consensus around here is that the Stage
One is much better.

I've had them all.
Donated the Maverick to the Salvation Army.

GAVE the Carter Starter away to a friend that cursed me for months.

The Stage One is BY FAR the superior instrument, and you can often get them for $900 on the forum.

Jb

I worked on a Stage One a couple years ago and was impressed with it. Quite a guitar for the $$$$.
PRR